The latest Artist Spotlight Series features four talented artists submitted by our partner, TuneCore. With styles ranging from blues and indie rock to pop and hip-hop, this mix of independent artists offers an array of unique sounds to satisfy any listener. Take a listen below…

Social Club

Social Club is an indie Hip Hop Duo, composed of Fern and Marty from South Florida. Whether Social Club is on stage captivating crowds with their live performances or engaging with fans, its clear Social Club has a passion for people.

Since 2012 Social Club has made a reputation for themselves by creating transparent and innovative music. “We make music for Misfits” Fern says “A misfit by definition is someone who is different than their surroundings simply put, we believe in being who God has called us to be and not who the world says we should be”. Social Club has released six projects since 2012, two of the projects “Misfits” and “US” were retail and garnished commercial success. Both albums were independently released through TuneCore and charted on over twelve charts on Billboard.

Fantastic Negrito

Fantastic Negrito is a man’s truth told in the form of black roots music. Each song is a true story about a musician from Oakland who experienced the highs of a million dollar record deal, the lows of a near fatal car accident that put him in a coma, and is now in the phase of rebirth despite his playing hand being mangled. Negrito’s music emphasizes rawness and space. Slide guitar, drums, piano. Rather than update the Delta Blues, Fantastic Negrito leaves the original sounds of Lead Belly and Skip James intact, building bridges to a modern sound with loops and samples of his own live instruments. But the primary element that drives Fantastic Negrito’s music is uncut realness and zero concern for “pop” anything.

AirLands

Brooklyn post-indie band AirLands, led by Kevin Calaba, assembled in 2014 and released their self-titled debut record earlier this year. Quickly building a strong New York fan base, critics position the band’s sound somewhere between Peter Gabriel and Bon Iver.

After two years of writing, Calaba recorded what would become AirLands, collaborating with long time friend and producer Tony Lash (The Dandy Warhols, Elliot Smith), and Portland drummer, Benjamin Weikel (The Helio Sequence, Modest Mouse). Google Play and Spotify promptly featured ‘Love and Exhale’, the album’s first single, on Spotify’s New Music Tuesday and Google Play’s Antenna Sampler in February 2015.

Kevin Calaba left Stars of Track and Field and Wind-Up Records in 2010, after 2 full length albums and 7 national tours supporting acts such as Jeremy Enigk,Twilight Singers, The Smashing Pumpkins, Blue October and Joe Arthur. Calaba and the band performed on Conan, and had songs placed in ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and several other network and cable programs and feature films (Kyle XY, Death Sentence, ESPN, One Tree Hill).

Kelley James

If there is one word to describe the music of Kelley James, it would be “mash- up.” Drawing from rock, pop, and the beachside vibes of his home state of California, James seamlessly combines acoustic guitar melodies with clever lyrics and freestyle vocal riffs to create a signature sound that fans and followers have grown to recognize and love. Most recently, James released his newest full-length album The Pattern Transcending. As the true progression of James’ sound, the tracks features the best aspects of both his live shows and his studio prowess. The album debuted in October of 2013 and reached the top 20 on the iTunes Singer/ Songwriter charts. With a career spanning five years, three albums, and multiple international tours, he has proven himself as an accomplished artist both in-studio and on-stage.

Eschewing the traditional path of record labels, James has built his career on the road by playing over 1,000 shows in the past five years, including sold-out shows at the Troubadour, the Roxy, Key Club, and most recently, San Francisco’s Brick & Mortar. As the creator of “The Sorority and Fraternity Tour” he played at colleges nationwide with the help of sponsors like Oakley and Muscle Milk. James has shared the stage with national acts such as LMFAO, Sara Bareilles, Mike Posner, Joshua Radin and Kate Voegele. He has joined both O.A.R. and American Idol’s James Durbin for respective full-length tours. In between his busy touring schedule, Kelley maintains a monthly residency at the W Scottsdale’s Living Room Live in the city’s old town buzzing nightlife district.

As an avid surfer with a passion for sports, James has close ties to the athletic community as well. He is a close friend of San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito and the two frequently join forces to raise funds for Zito’s charity organization Strikeouts For Troops. Zito is an accomplished musician and has co-written songs with James and they have performed live together. James has also been joined on stage by professional surfer Kelly Slater, PGA golfer Rickie Fowler, and MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden. He is a regular performer at PGA Tour events including the Birds Nest at the WM Phoenix Open, Farmer’s Insurance Rock Ball in San Diego, HP Byron Nelson Pavilion After Dark in Dallas, The NetJets Masters party in Augusta and many more.

TuneCore brings more music to more people, while helping musicians and songwriters increase money-earning opportunities and take charge of their own careers. Music Distribution helps artists sell their music through iTunes, Spotify and other major download and streaming sites while retaining 100% of their sales revenue. Music Publishing Administration assists songwriters by administering their compositions through licensing, registration and worldwide royalty collection.